Interviewer: Corie Hahn Dr. Walter Freeman: Olivia Edwards
Corie: Hello, welcome to psychology 101.9, this is Corie Hahn with Dr.Walter Freeman, a specialized psychosurgeon here today with us.
Walter: Hello.
Corie: Welcome! Tell us what you do.
Walter: Well, I performed numerous lobotomies in twenty three states and invented the icepick lobotomy.
Corie: Oh! What is the icepick lobotomy?
Walter: It is a successful operation that treats patients with severe mental illnesses.
Corie: Oh wow! How does it work?
Walter: Well, we push the icepick in the eye socket using a surgical
hammer.
Corie: Interesting… How does it help people?
Walter: It releases their pain and agony, thus, they no longer have the illness.
Corie: Well, it’s been described: and I quote, it was performed “with a recklessness bordering on lunacy, touring the country like a travelling evangelist..”
Walter: Well, some people don’t agree with my work because it rids the patients of social abilities and general intelligence, however, the functions of the brain would be “safe” and secured in that environment.
Corie: Can you tell us some operations you used on people that worked?
Walter: Surely! I performed a secured operation on Rosemary Kennedy when she was the age of twenty-three, and it calmed her mental abilities and made it easier for her in her household. Also, I performed an operation on Ms.Hammet, age sixty three who suffered from depression and sleeplessness, and she lived for another five years.
Corie: Interesting! So what kind of mental illnesses do you treat?
Walter: Well, I treat people with depression, manic-depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and a variety of undiagnosed psychiatric illnesses.
Corie: Wow! We have another caller on the line, line three, what’s your question?
Line 3: Yeah, I have a question for Dr Freeman, Don’t you think what you’re doing is cruel?
Walter: Well, its not cruel. I mean, in most cases it completely rids the person of being mentally ill. They can have a normal life.
Line 3: You think being a vegetable is having a normal life?
Walter: Well, that’s not all the time.. Only in unsuccessful cases. And mostly its better for the patient that way.
Corie: Well that’s enough time for caller on line 3. Line 4? What’s your concern?
Caller 4: My sister is not sleeping and eating and has lost all her friends. She won’t go out. What’s wrong with her?
Walter: Good question. I think she has manic depression. An easily treatable illness. I wouldn’t worry about it, I can treat her with my famous ice-pick lobotomy.
Caller 4: Thank you.
Corie: Thank you for your time, Mr.Freeman. I enjoyed our interview today. It’s really put my mind into another alternative treatment.
Walter: Glad to be here. Thank you.
Corie: Okay, this is Corie Hahn with psychology 101.9 and we’re out!
Olivia Edwards And Corie Hahn - Walter Freeman Interview
Link to our interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AXmNq_BJPwInterviewer: Corie Hahn
Dr. Walter Freeman: Olivia Edwards
Corie: Hello, welcome to psychology 101.9, this is Corie Hahn with Dr.Walter Freeman, a specialized psychosurgeon here today with us.
Walter: Hello.
Corie: Welcome! Tell us what you do.
Walter: Well, I performed numerous lobotomies in twenty three states and invented the icepick lobotomy.
Corie: Oh! What is the icepick lobotomy?
Walter: It is a successful operation that treats patients with severe mental illnesses.
Corie: Oh wow! How does it work?
Walter: Well, we push the icepick in the eye socket using a surgical
hammer.
Corie: Interesting… How does it help people?
Walter: It releases their pain and agony, thus, they no longer have the illness.
Corie: Well, it’s been described: and I quote, it was performed “with a recklessness bordering on lunacy, touring the country like a travelling evangelist..”
Walter: Well, some people don’t agree with my work because it rids the patients of social abilities and general intelligence, however, the functions of the brain would be “safe” and secured in that environment.
Corie: Can you tell us some operations you used on people that worked?
Walter: Surely! I performed a secured operation on Rosemary Kennedy when she was the age of twenty-three, and it calmed her mental abilities and made it easier for her in her household. Also, I performed an operation on Ms.Hammet, age sixty three who suffered from depression and sleeplessness, and she lived for another five years.
Corie: Interesting! So what kind of mental illnesses do you treat?
Walter: Well, I treat people with depression, manic-depression, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and a variety of undiagnosed psychiatric illnesses.
Corie: Wow! We have another caller on the line, line three, what’s your question?
Line 3: Yeah, I have a question for Dr Freeman, Don’t you think what you’re doing is cruel?
Walter: Well, its not cruel. I mean, in most cases it completely rids the person of being mentally ill. They can have a normal life.
Line 3: You think being a vegetable is having a normal life?
Walter: Well, that’s not all the time.. Only in unsuccessful cases. And mostly its better for the patient that way.
Corie: Well that’s enough time for caller on line 3. Line 4? What’s your concern?
Caller 4: My sister is not sleeping and eating and has lost all her friends. She won’t go out. What’s wrong with her?
Walter: Good question. I think she has manic depression. An easily treatable illness. I wouldn’t worry about it, I can treat her with my famous ice-pick lobotomy.
Caller 4: Thank you.
Corie: Thank you for your time, Mr.Freeman. I enjoyed our interview today. It’s really put my mind into another alternative treatment.
Walter: Glad to be here. Thank you.
Corie: Okay, this is Corie Hahn with psychology 101.9 and we’re out!
Bibliography for Information:
http://www.mcmanweb.com/lobotomy.html
http://www.geocities.com/themistyone/freeman01.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Freeman
Bibliography for Pictures: